The present invention relates to a remanufacturing method for a process cartridge.
Here, the process cartridge is a cartridge containing at least a developing roller as developing means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member as a unit, the cartridge being detachably mountable to a main assembly of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
The electrophotographic image forming apparatus is an apparatus in which an image is formed on a recording material (recording paper, textile or the like) using an electrophotographic image forming process, and includes an electrophotographic copying machine, and an electrophotographic printer (a LED printer, a laser beam printer and so on, an electrophotographic printer type facsimile machine, an electrophotographic word processor and the like).
In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic image forming process, a process cartridge is used that integrally contains an electrophotographic photosensitive member and process means actable on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the process cartridge being detachably mountable to the main assembly of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus. With this process-cartridge type, the maintenance of the apparatus can be carried out in effect without service people. Therefore, the process-cartridge type apparatus is widely used in the field of the electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
Such a process cartridge forms an image on recording material with toner. Therefore, the toner is consumed in accordance with image forming operations. When the toner is consumed up to such an extent that the user is not satisfied with the image quality, the commercial value of the process cartridge is lost.
It is desired that such a used process cartridge is given the commercial value, again by remanufacturing the process cartridge through easy method.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a remanufacturing method of a process cartridge.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a remanufacturing method of a process cartridge in which when the process cartridge is transported, the toner is prevented from leaking out.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a remanufacturing method of a process cartridge wherein the process cartridge, with which the toner is consumed to such an extent that the user is not satisfied with the image quality, is recycled to be given commercial value.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remanufacturing method of remanufacting a process cartridge comprising:
(a) a step of preparing a used process cartridge, which comprises a toner developing container, a cleaning container, and pins for coupling the toner developing container and the cleaning container at opposite longitudinal ends of the process cartridge;
the toner developing container including a toner accommodating portion, a toner supply opening, a developing roller and a developing blade;
the cleaning container including an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
(b) a container separating step of separating the process cartridge into the toner developing container and the cleaning container by disengaging the pins from the process cartridge;
(c) a blade seal mounting step of mounting a blade seal between a blade mounting plate and an outside of a toner developing frame to seal a gap between the blade mounting plate and the toner developing frame;
(h) a toner refilling step of refilling the toner into the toner accommodating portion of the toner developing container having the blade seal; and
(i) a container coupling step of coupling the toner developing container having the blade seal with the cleaning container by engaging the pins into them.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remanufacturing method of remanufacting a process cartridge comprising:
(a) a step of preparing a used process cartridge which comprises a toner developing container, a cleaning container, and pins for coupling the toner developing container and the cleaning container at opposite longitudinal ends of the process cartridge;
the toner developing container including a toner accommodating portion, a toner supply opening, a developing roller and a developing blade;
the cleaning container including an electrophotographic photosensitive drum:
(b) a container separating step of separating the process cartridge into the toner developing container and the cleaning container by disengaging the pins from the process cartridge;
(c) a developing roller dismounting step of dismounting the developing roller from the toner developing container separated by the container separating step;
(d) a developing blade dismounting step of dismounting the developing blade from the toner developing container separated by the container separating step;
(e) a sealing material filling step of filing a sealing material in a gap formed in the toner developing container and extending along an inner side of an end seal provided adjacent each of longitudinal ends of the developing roller;
(f) an elastic member mounting step of mounting an elastic member longitudinally inside of the end seal provided adjacent each of opposite longitudinal ends of the developing roller, at a position laterally outside of the end seal;
(g) a cut-away portion sealing step of sealing a cut-away portion formed in the toner developing container adjacent each of opposite longitudinal ends of the developing roller, at a position laterally outside of the end seal;
(h) a developing blade mounting step of mounting the developing blade on the toner developer container;
(i) a blade seal mounting step of mounting a blade seal between a blade mounting plate and an outside of a toner developing frame to seal a gap between the blade mounting plate and the toner developing frame;
(j) a developing roller mounting step of mounting the developing roller on the toner developer container;
(k) a toner refilling step of refilling the toner into the toner accommodating portion of the toner developing container having the blade seal; and
(l) a container coupling step of coupling the toner developing container having the blade seal with the cleaning container by engaging the pins into them.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remanufacturing method of remanufacting a process cartridge comprising:
(a) a step of preparing a used process cartridge which comprises a toner developing container, a cleaning container, and pins for coupling the toner developing container and said cleaning container at opposite longitudinal ends of the process cartridge;
the toner developing container including a toner accommodating portion, a toner supply opening, a developing roller and a developing blade;
the cleaning container including an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
(b) a container separating step of separating the process cartridge into the toner developing container and the cleaning container by disengaging the pins from the process cartridge;
(c) a developing roller dismounting step of dismounting the developing roller from the toner developing container separated by the container separating step;
(d) a developing blade dismounting step of dismounting the developing blade from the toner developing container separated by the container separating step;
(e) a sealing member mounting step of mounting a sealing member on a side of the developing blade which is away from the developing roller adjacent each of opposite longitudinal ends thereof;
(h) a developing blade mounting step of mounting the developing blade on the toner developer container;
(i) a developing roller mounting step of mounting the developing roller on the toner developer container;
(j) a toner refilling step of refilling the toner into the toner accommodating portion of the toner developing container having the blade seal; and
(k) a container coupling step of coupling the toner developing container having the blade seal with the cleaning container by engaging the pins into them.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remanufacturing method of remanufacting a process cartridge comprising:
(a) a step of preparing a used process cartridge which comprises a toner developing container, a cleaning container and pins for coupling the toner developing container and the cleaning container at opposite longitudinal ends of the process cartridge;
the toner developing container including a toner accommodating portion, a toner supply opening, a developing roller and a developing blade;
the cleaning container including an electrophotographic photosensitive drum;
(b) a container separating step of separating the process cartridge into the toner developing container and said cleaning container by disengaging the pins from the process cartridge;
(c) a developing roller dismounting step of dismounting the developing roller from the toner developing container separated by the container separating step;
(d) a developing blade dismounting step of dismounting the developing blade from the toner developing container separated by the container separating step;
(e) a sealing material filling step of filing a sealing material in a gap formed in the toner developing container and extending along an inner side of an end seal provided adjacent each of longitudinal ends of the developing roller;
(f) an elastic member mounting step of mounting an elastic member longitudinally inside the end seal provided adjacent each of opposite longitudinal ends of the developing roller, at a position laterally outside of said the seal;
(g) a cut-away portion sealing step of sealing a cut-away portion formed in the toner developing container adjacent each of opposite longitudinal ends of the developing roller, at a position laterally outside of the end seal;
(h) a sealing member mounting step of mounting a sealing member on a side of the developing blade which is away from the developing roller adjacent each of opposite longitudinal ends thereof;
(i) a developing blade mounting step of mounting the developing blade on the toner developer container;
(j) a blade seal mounting step of mounting a blade seal between a blade mounting plate and an outside of a toner developing frame to seal a gap between the blade mounting plate and the toner developing frame;
(k) a developing roller mounting step of mounting the developing roller on the toner developer container;
(l) a toner refilling step of refilling the toner into the toner accommodating portion of the toner developing container having the blade seal; and
(m) a container coupling step of coupling the toner developing container having the blade seal with the cleaning container by engaging the pins into them.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.